


Five ways that Fraser said 'I love you' (even though he never actually said the words, because he was close-mouthed like that) (but Ray figured it out anyway)

by riverlight



Category: due South
Genre: 5 Things, M/M, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-09-27
Updated: 2006-09-27
Packaged: 2017-10-26 16:55:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/285674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riverlight/pseuds/riverlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just what it says on the box.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five ways that Fraser said 'I love you' (even though he never actually said the words, because he was close-mouthed like that) (but Ray figured it out anyway)

**Author's Note:**

> For justbreathe80. Cheers, lady!

1\. He hung out with Ray. With anyone else, Ray'd have said it was just Fraser being friendly, whatever, but Fraser, he didn't do the social thing—he liked a lot of people, sure, and he'd do damn near anything for most people if he thought they needed it, but that was it. But he'd knock on Ray's door at midnight with an old black-and-white movie and some popcorn if he wanted to hang out, and he'd sit in Ray's car and sulk when he had a bad day, and he'd crash on Ray's couch when he didn't want to deal with his crazy nutcase of a boss. And partners was partners, sure, but they could have worked together fine without ever doing anything more than the occasional drink at a bar or meal in a restaurant. Ergo, Fraser was doing it 'cause he wanted to, ergo Fraser loved him. Simple as that.

2\. He dragged Ray across half of Canada. For a month, it was all "Look, Ray, ptarmigan!" and "There are more than twenty first nation governing bodies in the Northwest Territories alone, Ray," and "Oh, dear, I'm afraid the weather's going to get worse before it gets better, Ray." But then they got up towards where Fraser'd grown up, and he started saying things like "I climbed this mountain every spring until I left for Depot," and "One time June and Innusiq and I went swimming here and our clothes mysteriously disappeared and we had to walk home naked," and "Have I ever told you about the incident with the otter, Ray?" and suddenly one day it hit him that this was Fraser making space for him in his life, this was Fraser showing him the place that he loved because he loved it and wanted Ray to be part of it. And sure, most of the time Ray didn't really get the appeal, but okay, Fraser loved it, that was all Ray needed to know, in the end.

3\. He came back to Chicago. In hindsight, this was when Ray should have began to suspect that maybe Fraser didn't just love him, maybe he was in love with him (and yeah, it turned out there was quite a difference). Not that they really talked about it—Fraser was about as likely to get drunk off his ass on a Friday night as he was to have deep and meaningful conversations with Ray about his feelings; in other words, it was theoretically possible, but really never, ever, going to happen. But the fact was, in Chicago Fraser had a job he really didn't love that much, no matter what he said, and Ray (and all right, Ray Vecchio too), but that was _it._ Maybe he had some secret reason to come back, but Ray sure as hell couldn't figure it out. So. Partners, huh? Ray could do that.

4\. He kept stuff at Ray's place. All right, so at first it'd been because Fraser was looking for an apartment, and hey, Ray had a couch and extra sheets and it wasn't like Fraser hadn't slept there often enough before Canada, right? It only made sense for him to have a toothbrush there if he wanted to stay over instead of going back to the Consulate, or his leather jacket and jeans so they could go out after work. But even after Fraser got his own place Ray kept finding his stuff around—the tea he liked in the cupboard, Dief's dog bowl, things like that. And okay, maybe it was perfectly normal; he kept beer in Fraser's fridge, for example—except even though Fraser's apartment was all of ten blocks away, he still crashed at Ray's place at least once a week, and Ray still had Fraser's brown uniform and spare Stetson in his hall closet. And when he thought about it, that was pretty telling, right there. Forget the toothbrush—Fraser'd walk off without that any day, if he had to. The Stetson was more permanent.

5\. He slept in late, or at least lay in bed watching Ray get ready for work. With anyone else, it wouldn't mean a damn thing, but this was Fraser, who put a front up for 99% of the world. He acted polite to criminals, helped little old ladies, was apparently happy to bust his ass day after day devoting himself to a city that didn't really want him and a country that wasn't his. You didn't know him, you'd think it was all the truth. But Ray knew him, and sure, maybe once he'd thought Fraser was as happy as the next guy, but now he knew better, 'cause compared to the way he was now, sprawled in Ray's bed with this wide happy grin, completely relaxed and making it perfectly clear he was exactly where he wanted to be, that was _nothing._


End file.
